Asbestos Exposure at Cutler Hammer/Eaton in Bowling Green

Thousands of people worked at Cutler Hammer (which was bought by Eaton Corporation in 1978) over the years. Many were exposed to asbestos, which can cause deadly cancers, without knowing it. Now, decades later, some are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. If that includes you or a family member, you must now act to protect your legal rights to compensation.

Cutler Hammer/Eaton is a worldwide electrical product manufacturer. It opened its large Bowling Green plastics manufacturing facility in 1965 and closed it about 40 years later. Cutler Hammer made and sold many products, including circuit breakers and panel boxes. Those products were used by the military, in industrial facilities, and in homes.

How Were Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

This large factory was built in the 1960s when asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral fiber, was commonly used. Those who maintained the plant probably worked with or near asbestos products, such as high-temperature insulation and other products. Highly toxic fibers would be put into the air when they were installed, removed, or repaired. They could also come loose as these products aged or due to vibrations from machines.

The company used molds to make plastic products. Phenolic molding compounds were heated and molded into the final product, known as bakelite. These compounds are different materials and pigments mixed with a resin. It’s chemical, heat, and electrically resistant, which is why it was part of electrical equipment.

The phenolic molding compounds used by Cutler Hammer/Eaton were a dry and dusty mixture made up of small pellets. One of the ingredients was asbestos because it was strong and cheap. It was also heat, fire, electrically, and chemically resistant.

Many exposed to asbestos worked with the molding process and operated machinery. Molding compound pellets came in 55-gallon drums. They were dry and powdery like oats and dumped into giant hoppers and mixed, causing huge clouds of asbestos-containing dust in the workplace.

Who Was Exposed to Asbestos?

The Bowling Green plant had dozens of molding machines, with many people operating them. Setters set up machines, and part of their job was filling the hoppers with molding compounds. Maintenance workers also worked in the area. Employees may have returned home with asbestos on their clothing, exposing family members to asbestos.

Satterley & Kelley has represented several clients with asbestos-related cancers (mesotheliomas) who worked in the Bowling Green mold room. We learned who supplied this asbestos-containing raw material, what it was made of, and what types of asbestos they used.

They include three used commercially in the US: chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. They all cause cancer, while  some research indicates crocidolite is extremely deadly.

What Should Former Cutler Hammer/Eaton Workers Do?

The plant probably used asbestos-containing molding compounds until about 1985 or later. You or your family member may have been young employees while asbestos was part of the manufacturing process. You may be near or at retirement age, and there’s a chance you may develop a potentially life-threatening asbestos-related condition decades after your exposure.

If you or a loved one worked for Cutler Hammer/Eaton you should see a healthcare provider to find out if asbestos impacts your health. By being proactive, you may find lung cancer or mesothelioma at an early stage, which may make treatment more effective.

Under Kentucky law, you have a year to file legal claims for compensation after you learn that you have a condition caused by asbestos. That compensation can cover your treatment costs and the pain, suffering, and mental anguish you’re dealing with due to asbestos.

If you get that bad news, you should contact Satterley & Kelley as soon as possible. You should learn about the law and the steps you can take to protect your rights. If we represent you, we can get critical information from you and still available witnesses. This is your opportunity to tell your story. The facts of your situation will be the foundation of your legal action.

Satterley & Kelley is the Law Firm You Can Trust With Your Asbestos Claim

If you or a loved one worked at the Cutler Hammer/Eaton plant in Bowling Green and developed asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma, contact Satterley & Kelley immediately.  We have helped clients exposed to asbestos-containing molding compounds at many industrial sites by obtaining tens of millions of dollars in compensation.  Our attorneys understand the products used and how workers are exposed to asbestos.  We can help you recover financially for the preventable injury that’s changed your life.